Wishful Thinking
by xArcherx
Summary: This is the story of Nomiya and Yamada. Of Yamada's unrequited love and Nomiya's growing affection for her. Of the notion that, maybe-just maybe, love does not have to be quite so stupid after all.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Honey and Clover fanfiction. Please feel free to leave a few reviews.

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**Wishful Thinking**

_by xArcherx_

**Chapter 1: Nomiya**

He thought she was uncommonly pretty for someone who looked blatantly out of place.

He watched while she looked around, her eyes widening as she took in the sophisticated crowd. It was obvious she was searching for someone and judging from the way she tried to blend in with the wallpaper, she had not expected a party.

The social gathering had been his idea. Fujiwara Design had opened a new branch in Tottori, which had become an instant success. It was actually starting to do almost as well as the Tokyo branch and they had even been able to recruit more architects to the other branch all in the span of a few, short months. After a similar party at Tottori to celebrate the success of the branch, Nomiya had returned to Tokyo, along with Kazushi and Miwako (Mayama, for various personal reasons, had not attended the Tottori party) to throw another party here, encouraging his coworkers to invite as many people as possible. The result was that their spacious office that had looked bare and empty four hours ago, was now crammed with people dancing to the music of a very enthusiastic DJ.

He was starting to get a headache from the extremely loud music but chose not to complain about it. Instead, he concentrated on downing the rest of his drink and smiling mysteriously at his companion. Her dark eyes bore into him as she returned the smile and he could tell what was coming next.

But before he could indulge in the usual foreplay - although the raging headache was seriously tempting him to call it a day - his eyes fell on the girl again and he made the mistake of looking over his partner's shoulder. She had chosen to stand pressed against the wall right next to the entrance, looking extremely intimidated. Again, he was taken aback by her attractive figure.

"Someone you know?" The woman had followed his gaze and had turned around to stare at the girl. Her tone was suspiciously casual. Nomiya had had enough experience with the opposite sex to know that he now had two options: either abandon the woman completely or give her his utmost attention.

The headache got worse. And the girl started to move.

He leaned in to whisper into his companion's ear, his lips tickling the sensitive skin. "She looks lost. I might have to help her out."

The woman frowned. "I think you'll have a much better time if you stayed right here." Her hands came to rest lightly on his shoulder blades and slowly made their way to his nape, intertwining there as she pulled him close for a kiss. But he broke free gently, shaking his head and suppressing the urge to smirk. He loved the company of women, but, honestly, sometimes it was all a little too much.

Her frown turned into a glare as he took out his phone and held it out to her. She folded her arms and fixed him with a haughty stare, her refusal clear from her body language.

"Come on, now." He coaxed, his voice low and pleasant. "I _am _the host." He nudged her slightly, his smile playful.

She still looked reluctant but as he stood waiting, his phone lying on his proffered hand, her shoulders sagged in defeat and she took it, punched in her phone number and threw it back to him with more force than necessary. But he smiled reassuringly and she sighed deeply into her drink.

"You'd better come find me by the end of tonight, though," she warned, as he walked away.

He turned without pausing and threw her a wink as he disappeared into the crowd. He wasn't one to make promises, after all. He could picture Mayama's face, struggling to conceal his disgust, as he flirted with woman after woman. He pushed through the crowd, his eyes following the movement of the curious girl. She was now edging to the left of the room, towards the bar (well, she certainly did look like she could do with a drink), muttering apologies as she bumped continually into people and it was only when he was five feet away from her that he was able to observe her properly. Her simple T-shirt and jeans certainly looked very dull next to all the fashionable party dresses. Her light brown hair was simply let down and he realised that she was clutching a large bag tightly to her side. She had definitely not been aware of this social gathering and from the timid expression on her face, he could tell that she would be extremely glad to get out of there as soon as she could.

He stepped right in front of her and she barely managed to avoid colliding into him, swaying to the side instead, steadying herself by pressing into the wall.

He smiled apologetically and she looked up at him, clearly embarrassed. He noticed that her eyes were a light gray - so gray, in fact, that they almost looked transparent. "Takumi Nomiya." He held out a hand. "Welcome to my party. How may I help you?"

She shook his hand, looking immensely relieved. "I...I'm Ayumi Yamada." She bowed her head slightly, in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Nomiya-san." He smiled down at her. "I'm looking for...Mayama. Takumi Mayama?" Her eyes swept the crowd, coming to rest on his face finally.

He looked at the girl with interest. Mayama rarely ever talked about his personal life, although his involvement with Harada-san was as obvious as daylight. He had never mentioned any of his friends, though. "Yes, I think I know where he is. If you'll come this way, Yamada-san, I'm sure I can help you find him." He turned away and led her towards a door, which led to his personal workspace, at the far end of the room, wrestling through the crowd once more.

"Thank you. I...thank you very much!" The relieved tone of her voice was unmistakable. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I didn't mean to bother anyone...I've never been here before, you see. I had no idea there was going to be a _party_..." She shot him such a reproachful look that he couldn't help chuckling.

"It's not a problem, Yamada-san. As the host, I'm happy to help."

She looked so stricken for a second that he wondered if he'd said something inappropriate. But the next moment, she was pointing a finger at him and with a terrified look on her face, screeched, "_But that means you're the manager!_" and he was charmed into chuckling again.

She looked even more embarrassed as she fell into step with him, despite constantly being jostled by someone or the other as they pushed through the crowd. "Mayama often speaks of you." He could tell from the way she squirmed that Mayama certainly didn't glorify him to his friends. He was well aware of the less-than-cordial aura that Mayama gave off whenever the two of them were in the same room together.

He was about to ask her how she even knew Mayama in the first place when said man exited the very room they had been approaching, with a drink in one hand. He stopped short at the sight of the two of them, a look of incredulity passing his face. His gaze then shifted to the girl and he whispered, "Yamada...what-"

She held out the huge bag by way of a reply to his unasked question. Mayama stared at it, nonplussed, for a moment before slapping a hand to his forehead, "The pottery designs..." He moaned, his palm still pressed tightly to his forehead, "damn, how could I forget..."

"Oh, how convenient."

"Yamada, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that I'd asked you to drop by."

"It wouldn't have hurt to give me call, Mayama." She said drily. "One quick phone call to tell me that there was a _huge _party going on and that it probably _wouldn't_ be a good idea to come over straight from college!" She looked at him furiously and he seemed to shrink as he took a step back, holding up his hands in front of him as if to pacify her.

"I can't even begin to tell you how sorry-"

"Why don't you give it a try?" She said acidly, cutting him off. Nomiya, his headache forgotten, watched the two of them interact, thoroughly entertained. They seemed completely unaware of his presence, which only intrigued him more. "First of all, it took me an _hour_ to get here and it took me another half hour to finally locate the place. So here I was, smelling like dirt and public transport, thinking, 'Okay, maybe I can get Mayama to give me a ride back home. I simply _cannot _take the bus again,' when I walked into this cool office party with men in nice suits and women in pretty dresses that showed off their tanned legs-" here, she looked pointedly at the woman that Nomiya had been flirting with earlier, who returned her stare with double the hostility, "- and beautiful, _expensive_ jewellery while _my_ T-shirt was - and still is - splattered with mud."

Mayama stared at her, open mouthed, while she caught her breath. Nomiya, however, was having the time of his life. This girl - this Yamada - was much more entertaining than he had expected. And anyone who made Mayama gawk like that was worth getting to know better.

Mayama stood quite still for a moment before sighing deeply and moving closer to her. "I know, Yamada, I'm a horrible person. Please forgive me?" He ruffled her hair gently. "I feel terrible about this. I've got no other explanation for tonight except that it just slipped my mind that I'd asked you to come over."

Her expression softened to something much more tender and it was her turn to sigh. "It's alright..."

"I'll make it up to you, okay?" He said, smiling brightly. "Dinner's on me tomorrow."

Nomiya watched as Mayama continued to smile down at her until she cracked a smile of her own. "Alright, alright." She was definitely grinning. "You know I can't stay mad at you for too long." He noticed the blush that was colouring her cheeks and the shy expression on her face as she looked up at the other man.

Nomiya was known for his exceptional observational skills but this girl was obviously used to wearing her heart on her sleeve. His gaze shifted to Mayama. There was something about the expression on his face that told Nomiya that there was much more to this little exchange than Mayama would like to admit.

He cleared his throat loudly and the two of them sprang apart at the sound, both wearing identical expressions of shock. Mayama looked at him as if he'd appeared out of nowhere. Nomiya waited calmly as the telltale signs of disdain appeared on his face. The brown eyes behind the glasses narrowed and the lips tightened to form a thin line. His voice was controlled when he spoke. "Nomiya-san." The acknowledgement was anything but casual. "This is-"

"I'm already acquainted with Yamada-san." Nomiya smiled down at her pleasantly while Mayama's face became imperceptibly paler. "I found her looking for you and decided to help her."

"Really?" Mayama's voice was dripping with poorly-concealed sarcasm. Yamada, however, was looking back and forth at the two of them curiously. "You just _happened _to find her?"

Nomiya continued to smile. "Well, it's like Yamada-san said, isn't it? She isn't exactly dressed for the occasion." She turned a deep shade of red.

Mayama looked at her reproachfully and Nomiya knew he was wishing she didn't look quite so conspicuous. Yamada glared at him. "How _dare_ you look at me like that! _You_ are the one who forgot to tell me there was going to be a party. _You_ are the one who-"

He cut her off hastily, truly looking apprehensive. "Yes, I know-I'm sorry!" He took a deep breath while she continued to glare at him. He chose to ignore her and looked at Nomiya instead. "She is the friend who made the bowl you were talking about the other day. I asked her for some of her designs like you wanted me to." He looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "I was under the impression that you'll be arriving tomorrow. The short phone call from Misaki-san, informing me about the sudden change of plans...well, I forgot about it." The worried look he shot Yamada didn't escape Nomiya's notice.

Mayama turned to the girl. "Let's just get out of here. I'll give you a ride back home. It's the least I can do anyway, considering..." and he shot Nomiya a nasty look (this time, he didn't even bother to _try _to conceal it) who looked back at him quizzically. So all of sudden, everything was _his _fault?

"Wait a moment, Mayama. I'd like to have a word with Yamada-san." He was not going to give up that easily.

Mayama glared at him. "I don't think-"

"I'm well aware of your suspicions." He spoke so quietly tha Mayama was the only one who could hear him. "But, for now, let's put that aside. Yamada-san is extremely talented at pottery and I would like to discuss with her the new ideas that _I _have for Fujiwara Design."

Mayama hesitated. And that was enough invitation. He turned to Yamada. "Yamada-san, would you be kind enough to sit with me in my office? I'm very interested in looking through your designs."

She looked pleased. "I would love to."

"It's getting late." Mayama said abruptly. "Didn't you say you'd like to leave as soon as possible?"

"Well, yes...but, Nomiya-san wants to look at the designs now, so-"

"I can show them to him tomorrow."

"They are right _here._" Yamada patted her bag, looking incredulous. "And it's better if _I _show him _my _designs, don't you think?"

Mayama sighed. "Yamada, please."

"I don't understand you, Mayama!" Her nostrils flared as she clenched her fists. "First, you ask me to come here because your manager is interested in my designs and then you completely forget all about me! Now, when Nomiya-san wants to look at the designs, you're in a hurry to take me home. What is the matter with you?"

Mayama glowered at her while she placed her hands on her hips and looked up at him defiantly. They stayed in that position until Mayama sniffed and muttered something about needing another drink.

"Excellent." Nomiya said happily. "Yamada-san, if you'd care to join me in my office?"

Curiously enough, his headache remained forgotten for the rest of the night.

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Thank you for reading. Again, reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I surprise myself with the (relatively) quick update. Here's chapter two!

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**Wishful Thinking**

_by xArcherx_

**Chapter 2: Yamada**

She noticed how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel. That was a sure sign of anger.

She chose not to comment on it, especially since she was feeling a very different kind of unease around him than what was normal. Mayama rarely ever got angry and she was sure this was the first time she was going to have to deal with it alone.

Not that she was thinking of saying anything. She was prepared to be silent throughout the ride even if the tension in the air started to choke her at some point. She looked out her window as they zoomed past skyscrapers that lit up the entire road with their majestic sign boards, wondering, not for the first time, _what_ exactly had displeased Mayama.

She knew that he wasn't very fond of his boss although she had found Nomiya-san to be charming, polite, funny, and quite entertaining. He had taken a genuine interest in her designs, the appreciative look he had given them making her flush with pride. He had expressed his desire to introduce pottery items (marked with the Fujiwara Design logo) to the public. Nothing too fancy, just a few vases and bowls on display, to see how people like them. She was quite taken with the idea, especially since he had asked for her help with it. She had been more than willing to participate in this 'project'.

Mayama, however, had been quite moody throughout the entire discussion, barely contributing to it as he had often stared off into space. An occasional giggle from Yamada would pull him back to the present but the scowl had only grown more pronounced as he had watched the two of them interact. While she had looked at him in bewilderment, Nomiya-san had seemed to know what was happening, because he had chosen to ignore it, calmly claiming her attention when the awkwardness had become too difficult to ignore.

The shrill ring of his cell phone – the first few seconds of the original soundtrack of the movie 'Moon River' – distracted her from her thoughts. She turned to watch him as he patted his pockets for his phone with one hand while the other gripped the steering wheel even harder, finally pulling it out from his jacket. He didn't even look at the number when he flipped it open and Yamada felt the mood change acutely. He was worried.

"Hello?" He balanced the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he avoided colliding with a truck in front of them by changing lanes swiftly. He then slowed to a stop by the side of the road as he concentrated on listening to the person on the other end. "What happened? Are you alright?"

All it took was one look at his face. Her heart sank. She knew who he was talking to.

She looked away so he wouldn't see her face fall. The pain was old, and familiar, but that did not make it any easier to deal with. His voice turned into an indistinct murmur as she surveyed her surroundings absentmindedly. The occasional flash of the headlights of vehicles passing by blinded her momentarily but she didn't mind. She would do anything to stop the tears from spilling.

She found herself listening in on his conversation even though a major part of her didn't want to.

"Do you want me to come over?" A pause. "I should come over." She assumed that Harada-san was refusing his help, as always. Her hands fisted. She had never met the woman but she had seen her a couple of times with Hanamoto-sensei.

Yamada's impression of the older woman had been formed even before she had seen her. Deep down, she knew Harada-san to be a good person, and (from snippets of conversation between Hanamoto-sensei and Mayama) a very dedicated artist, but—

Mayama sighed. "Please take care of yourself. Rika-san."

—she hated the woman.

She hated her for what she did to Mayama. She hated to see him following her like a lost puppy, complying with her requests without question, rushing to see her whenever he could, offering to accompany her on her trips, struggling to hide his dejection when she refused his help—when she refused _him._

But most of all, she hated Harada-san for making Mayama fall in love with her so easily.

_How could it have been so easy?_

The question plagued her day in and day out. She mulled over it, whenever she happened to find him lying on the floor, thinking of Harada-san. A part of her understood that it was not something that could be helped—_she_, of all people, knew that. But it was much easier to pretend to be clueless, to search for an answer to this very puzzling question instead of spending nights crying in the darkness every time she pictured the wistful expression on his face.

It was easier to be distracted by a purpose.

She saw him flip his phone shut and stare at it, his head bowed. For a moment, there was complete silence. She knew he was thinking of her, knew that he wanted to drive over to her place that very instant to check on her. He had always done things his way whenever Harada-san's health had been concerned. Even though he was always trying to be the "good guy" around Harada-san, Yamada knew that the façade would break in a second if there was any danger of him losing her forever.

_What wouldn't I give to see you stare after me wistfully, Mayama?_

She blinked repeatedly until she was certain there were no tears in her eyes. She knew what he wanted to do and right now, Yamada could not handle being the one he was stuck with.

The sound of the car door opening pulled him out of his reverie. He looked at her in confusion as she slammed the door shut behind her. She knelt until her face was level with the car window and smiled at him. "You know what, Mayama? I feel like taking the bus after all."

"What are you doing?" The stupid question only made his confusion much more obvious.

"I told you, I'm taking the bus." She straightened and turned away from the car.

"Yamada, it's close to midnight! Where on earth are you going to find a bus at this hour?" She could hear him fumble with the seatbelt.

"I'll be alright." She kept her back to him, pretending to wait to cross the road to get to the other side. "I'm sure I'll be able to catch a bus even though it's late. You go on ahead, Mayama. I'll see you in the morning."

"What's got into you?" His own car door slammed shut as he got out. "You're acting strange. Why won't you let me take you home?"

"I want to take the bus." She suddenly wished she was on the other side of the road already. If only the cars would stop for one minute, she would be able to cross the road and Mayama would be gone. She would be able to cry freely on her way back home, torturing herself with thoughts about Mayama and Harada-san alone in her house, until she got to her own room and _then_, she could throw herself on her bed and sob some more.

It was quite depressing actually.

"This is getting ridiculous. Yamada, get inside the car."

"No." She knew she was being obstinate, like a child, and that this was, in no way, going to impress Mayama. But she didn't think she could take another minute of that wretched silence. Not after that call from Harada-san. "For the last time, I'm taking the bus." She took a step towards the road, but he stopped her with a hand on her wrist and spun her around.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from his fingers, wrapped around her wrist. How many times had she run away from him in the hopes that he would chase after her? How many times had she cried bitterly when she had realized he was never going to come for her? And yet, here he was, pulling her back, just when she wanted to get away from him the most. How ironic.

_But why, Mayama, does it feel like I'm still the one running after you?_

"Yamada?" She realized she was shaking. "What's wrong?"

She kept her eyes trained on the ground as they filled with tears yet again. She hated herself for being so weak. Why couldn't she just deal with this? Why did she have to break down every single time Harada-san was involved?

God, just thinking about that woman made her want to scream.

"Yamada, look at me." But she couldn't, especially since she was so close to losing it. Her lips were trembling from the effort of restraining a sob and her nose was starting to get runny. She didn't know how she was going to evade the confrontation that was soon to follow but for now, she concentrated on calming down. She felt him move closer, his hand still tight on her wrist. She caught a whiff of his cologne and felt the familiar light-headedness that came with his close proximity to her. She had been fighting against the effect for weeks now, but she was still as powerless as always. It was rather discouraging, and patience was not really one of her virtues.

She heard him sigh. "Yamada…come on. You know I can't let you go alone."

_Yamada. _

_Rika-san._

Something inside her snapped.

She threw her head back and glared at him through her tears. The effect was immediate. His eyes widened as he took in her contorted face and his grip on her wrist slackened. She used the opportunity to pull free. But instead of walking away without a word, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "And why not, _Mayama_?" He flinched at the bitterness in her tone. "You know you want to go see Harada-san. I'm only trying to make things easier for you. Why can't you understand that?" He opened his mouth, the astonishment plain in his features, but she didn't give him a chance to answer. He had pushed her too much. He should have let her go without question. "You want to drive over to her place, don't you? You want to _see _for yourself that she's alright. Well, I'm giving you that chance, Mayama."

He didn't even attempt to defend himself. It was his turn to stare at the ground. She decided that she had had enough drama for the day. She walked determinedly towards the road and was halfway across it before he had even realized what had happened. She could hear him calling out to her but she forced herself to keep moving forward.

It took her a few minutes to realize that she was sobbing. Her exit had been rather dramatic but as she came to stand near the lonely bus stop, she questioned her reasoning for taking the bus. True, she didn't want to go home with him, not when he was worried sick about Harada-san. But he had had a point when he had asked her how she was going to find a bus at this ungodly hour.

However, even as she stood there, berating herself for her thoughtless actions, she could feel the deep sense of relief emanating from inside of her at finding herself alone. She could think and cry without being mindful of her surroundings now. Who cared if a passerby noticed a lone girl crying to herself? Really, she had lost all sense of pride when she had let Mayama see her tears. She had struggled so hard to appear normal, to pretend that everything was alright and that she had just 'felt like' taking the bus. But she had noticed something today that she had never paid attention to before.

He always called her by her last name.

It hadn't mattered before. After all, she called everyone by their last name except for Hagu-chan and he was no different. She hadn't minded in the least – not until now, when she had heard him address Harada-san by her first name.

She pressed a hand to her forehead as she sank into the bench by the bus stand. Hadn't they known each other longer? Wasn't _she _worthy of the privilege of being on a first name basis with him?

She was being silly. She was scrutinizing each and every aspect of his relationship with Harada-san and comparing it with their friendship. It was wrong and so far, she had only succeeded in hurting herself knowingly. She wondered what it would take for her to let go of him completely. What would it take for her to think, 'I want him out of my life'?

When she looked up, she was both surprised and relieved to find a bus pulling to a stop right in front of her.

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It was half past one by the time she finally got off the bus. Her house was still a five-minute walk away. She didn't mind though. She welcomed the peace and quiet that the neighbourhood offered at night and since her father had left for his hometown to visit an old friend earlier that day, she didn't have worry about being told off for coming home late.

She had managed to stop sniffling when she had got into the bus and had spent most of the journey staring desolately out the window. Thoughts of Mayama and Harada-san had overwhelmed her just as she had predicted. But she had repeatedly told herself that she had to get strong enough to push those thoughts away. She needed to focus on something that would prove as a distraction for most part of the day. Nomiya-san's project had immediately come to mind and she had decided to step into it with the utmost dedication.

Planning out her life for the next few weeks seemed like a good idea and she let a reluctant smile twist her lips as she turned into her street. She was taking a step towards getting over Mayama. However small the step may be, it was still comforting to know that she was _trying_.

Her good mood evaporated instantly on catching sight of the familiar, battered old car parked outside her house and the silhouette of a tall, thin man leaning against the door on the driver's side. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she made her way closer, ignoring the sense of dread that was slowly consuming her with each step.

He turned around when she was close enough and she noticed that he had been smoking. She eyed the numerous cigarette butts on the ground warily. How long had he been waiting for her?

She stared at him without saying anything, silently congratulating herself for not breaking down at the sight of him. Despite the pep talk she had given herself earlier that had left her feeling significantly better, she was still in a vulnerable state right now.

He shrugged at her unasked question, a cigarette caught between his teeth. "I had to make sure you got home safe."

"I did." She moved past him to her door. "Thank you."

"Yamada."Against her will, she waited. There was something tender in the way he had said her name. And she was still weak. "I'm sorry about tonight. About asking you to come over and then forgetting about it and...everything else."

The unspoken name hung in the air heavily. She turned around. "Is Harada-san alright?"

Her question seemed to throw him off-guard. He recovered quickly though and stared at his feet as he nodded, the cigarette now between his fingers. "Yes."

She smiled as naturally as she could. "That's good then." She unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Drive safe, Mayama."

He stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face for a moment. Then he nodded once more, and got inside the car. She waited until he was out of sight before crumbling to the floor, the tears taking over once more.

Who had she been kidding with all the planning? This was just like every other night.

She would be just as hopelessly in love with him as ever in the morning.

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That was a depressing chapter, wasn't it? Sorry about that. But Yamada is hurting and she still has a long way to go. Thank you to all the people who have read my story so far! I'd really love it if you reviewed though.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter is actually quite short and perhaps slightly redundant. Sorry about that. A special thank you to Malagea!

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**Wishful Thinking**

_by xArcherx_

**Chapter 3: Nomiya**

The clock on his desk showed that it was four in the afternoon. That explained why his eyes were starting to hurt—he had been squinting at his computer screen for three hours straight.

He blinked a couple of times and focused his attention on two of his co-workers, seated across the room and very obviously slacking off. Miwako was petting Leader, who had his head on her lap, and proclaiming that she absolutely despised Mondays, while Yamazaki, not unlike Leader, was gazing at her in unconcealed adoration. Nomiya then looked over at Mayama, sitting in his own cubicle and seemingly displeased with his computer while he typed away furiously.

Miwako seemed to notice his grumpy demeanour too because she called out to him. "What is it, Mayama?" She scratched Leader's ears as she swivelled in her chair to face him, ready to indulge in any sort of distraction from her boring job of answering calls all day, despite the fact that this particular Monday had been pretty quiet.

Mayama stared at her blankly before registering her question. Nomiya looked on with interest as he hastened to reply, "Nothing, nothing."

"Oh, come on. Don't think I didn't notice the frown."

"The frown? Oh, _that. _I…well, you know it was just…the screen's really bright and my eyes were aching…and—"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a horrible liar?" And with surprising briskness for someone who had been complaining about Monday blues only minutes ago, Miwako walked over to his cubicle and bent down to look at his monitor. Yamazaki actually seemed to go a little green as he shot envious looks at Mayama. His co-worker, however, was starting to turn a curious shade of red while Miwako stared at his computer in obvious astonishment. She slowly turned to him and—Nomiya could totally see through it—trying not to overdo the histrionics, said in a dangerously slow voice, "Mayama…are—are you _spying _on Harada-san?"

"No!" The barely-concealed squeak gave him away. He attempted to hide whatever he had been looking at but the damage had already been done. Miwako looked gleeful and even Yamazaki calmed down enough to ditch the grumpy attitude and look mildly interested. "It isn't like that, I swear."

"You're practically looking at her flight bookings _without _her knowledge. If that's not spying, then—"

"—it's snooping." Yamazaki's look of glee rivalled that of Miwako's. He kept inching closer to Mayama's cubicle until he and Miwako were on either side of the poor guy, looking like predators staring down at their prey after _months _of hunting. "You look like a jealous boyfriend, Mayama."

His refusal to meet their eyes gave it away. Miwako gasped and Nomiya was willing to wager that this time, it was completely genuine. Yamazaki clapped his shoulder. "I had no idea that you and Harada-san were a—"

"We aren't!" He exclaimed hotly, jumping up and backing away.

"But you _want _to be." Miwako replied, watching him keenly. He didn't deny it and for one moment, the room was dead silent. Then—"I cannot believe you, Mayama!"

"Wait. Stop!" He looked flustered. "Please don't make a big deal out of this."

"Does Harada-san feel the same way?"

Mayama looked down at his feet. "I don't know."

"Wait a minute." Miwako narrowed her eyes. Nomiya thought he knew what was just dawning on her. "She reciprocated, didn't she? Or at least, she dropped big hints before." She was so excited that she grabbed Yamazaki's hands and jumped up and down. He looked ecstatic. "Harada-san and Mayama were a couple!"

"No." The firmness in his voice stopped her sudden fit of giggles. "We most certainly _were not._"

"Please, Mayama." Miwako rolled her eyes. "It is so obvious."

"No, no. You're reading too much into it. We have never been involved…like _that_…I mean, well…maybe just a—" He immediately stopped himself.

"Mayama, you naughty, naughty boy!" Miwako raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"How come you never told us you were into older women?"

"_It's not like that!_" Yamazaki looked shocked at his outburst. Miwako wiped the grin off her face. "I don't like Rika-san just because she's _older _than me. That's got nothing to do with it. So, please, just…stop!"

Another unsettling moment of silence. And then—"Ha. So you _do _like her. High time you admitted it." Yamazaki patted Mayama on the back while he groaned. Miwako regained her earlier alacrity. And Nomiya wondered why he had decided to be the detached spectator this time.

His tired eyes fell on the beautifully designed bowl next to the coffee pot on the kitchen counter and he smiled deviously. Of course he wasn't a detached spectator. He was just waiting for the right moment. Besides, he needed a break too. Glancing slyly at Mayama once more, he stood up from his chair and stretched, before walking over to the counter and brewing coffee. His arm _happened _to nudge the bowl and send it flying to the floor.

Mayama looked up at the clatter and eyed the broken pieces of baked mud indifferently while Miwako chided Nomiya for being careless. Leader sniffed at the debris cautiously before considering it beneath his notice and vying for Miwako's attention again. Yamazaki leaned against one of the walls of Mayama's cubicle, hands shoved inside his pockets, looking thoughtful.

"That was one of Yamada-san's brilliant pieces, Nomiya." Miwako said reproachfully as she bent down to pick up the pieces. She shot him an odd look. "I can't remember the last time you were so clumsy."

He acknowledged the remark with a sheepish smile and helped her clear up the mess. As he picked up the last piece, he rolled it over and over in his hand absentmindedly. Then, "I should ask Yamada-san for another one."

That obviously called for Mayama's immediate attention. A look of alarm crossed his face and he opened his mouth—to dissuade Nomiya from doing whatever it was that he was planning to do, no doubt—but Miwako beat him to it, "Nomiya! We can't do that. Yamada-san is probably quite busy at the moment."

"I suppose you're right." He glanced surreptitiously at Mayama who looked like he couldn't believe his luck. He struggled to contain the smirk that was threatening to give away his charade and said, "I should pay her a visit, though…perhaps take a look at the pieces she's set aside for our collection."

Miwako seemed delighted by the idea. Mayama, however, seemed to decide that he needed to take matters into his own hands. "There's no need for that. I see Yamada on a daily basis, I can just ask her for you—"

"I know. But since _I'm _the one who asked for her help, I think the polite thing to do would be to see her in person myself." He glanced at the clock again. "In fact, I should probably leave right away."

"She'll still be at college. It's only half past four." Mayama said hurriedly, looking as though he wanted to block the exit.

"Well, yes. But it will take me an hour to get there so I'll be able to catch her just as she's leaving the university."

Mayama took a deep breath. "I really don't think this is necessary, Nomiya-san. You have quite a lot of work to do as it is."

"Here." Miwako thrust a parcel at Nomiya. "I brought this cake from the bakery shop down the road this morning. You can't visit her empty-handed."

"Give my best to Yamada-san." Yamazaki chimed in, smiling good-naturedly.

For a moment, Mayama looked utterly helpless as he watched Nomiya throw on his jacket and grab his car keys. Then, squaring his shoulders, he said, "I'll go with you, Nomiya-san."

This made him pause. "Why? Don't you have something else to take care of?" He gestured to Mayama's computer and raised his eyebrows, causing the younger man to blush furiously.

"That has…it's not…I don't…" He spluttered for a few moments while Nomiya waited patiently. Something about the expression on his face must have tipped him off, because after staring curiously at him for a moment, Mayama seemed to collect himself. "Let me go with you."

"You didn't answer my question."

Mayama stared back at him in silence, fists clenched. Nomiya bent down to receive a lick from Leader. He knew why Mayama didn't want him to see Yamada-san; he knew what was going on inside his head, right this instant. Yet, he chose to ask the question. "Can it be that you simply don't want me to get to know Yamada-san better?"

Truth be told, he really was not interested in Yamada-san that way. In the two weeks that he had known her, however, he could tell that she was extremely talented in what she did and he was rather glad that she had agreed to help him with his new idea. Granted, he had only met with her twice since their first encounter at the party, but that had provided him with ample time to discern her character. She was a nice person, perhaps a little on the naive side. He had no intention of dating her—she was way too young for him, anyway—but he certainly did like to get a rise out of Mayama now and then. And, deep down, as much as he liked seeing Mayama get irritated or flustered, he resented the fact that he thought so little of his own boss. Mayama seemed to have assumed—from the very beginning—that he, Nomiya, would be willing to sleep with absolutely anyone who looked just a tiny bit attractive.

Okay, so maybe he was a bit of player. But women were not what he always thought about. He had a job that he loved—Miwako often called him a workaholic—and he had a few good friends who looked out for him. He had a _life _that did not completely revolve around women. Why couldn't Mayama see that? And did he really think that just because his friend was rather pretty, Nomiya would immediately try to devise some plan to get into bed with her? He scrutinized the expression on Mayama's face. His direct question had certainly shocked him but it had also incensed him. His jaw was set and he was clenching his fists tighter. Nomiya knew he had pushed him into a tight corner and Mayama couldn't think of any way that he could get out of it except admit to it. He had never been good at lying anyway. Nomiya would be able to see right through him, just like he did with everyone else.

"I'm waiting for your answer, Mayama." Nomiya prompted, while Miwako and Yamazaki stood by silently, gaping slightly.

There was another long silence. Leader seemed to realize that Miwako just was not interested in him anymore—she was too busy staring at Mayama, eyes wide—and made for the kitchen. Mayama opened his mouth, thought better of it, simply cleared his throat and remained silent. But Nomiya was not letting him off the hook. He waited, gazing at Mayama pointedly until—"Yes."

It was murmur—so low that it was almost muffled by the sound of Leader's footfalls on the wooden floor.

Nomiya was obviously unsurprised, although both Miwako and Yamazaki looked a little unsettled. It was quite like him to address the elephant in the room, especially if he was looking for some entertainment. He liked to point out some things that were glaringly obvious to both himself and the other person involved (especially if he or she was actively trying to avoid the subject), just to see them squirm. As much as he liked to watch some drama unfold, he did not enjoy being involved in it at all. He could take small doses of it, but he'd much rather do confrontations.

"Why?" He knew the answer to that one, too. But he was testing Mayama—he wanted to know if he would have the guts to say it out loud.

"I think we both know why, Nomiya-san." The reply was quicker and there was a little bit of steel in his voice this time.

He nodded in return. Well, he wasn't going to push it. But he was not backing down either. He made for the door without another word, acutely aware that his departure was not going to help diffuse the tension in the room.

He had already started the car by the time Mayama caught up with him. He rolled down the window to face him and waited, while Mayama caught his breath. "I said I'd go with you."

That was certainly surprising. He had expected an outburst. He stared at him for a moment and then, it clicked. Mayama did not want to give him the pleasure of having won the argument. He did not want him to see that it had angered him. "Perhaps another time, Mayama."

Why on earth would he let him tag along? He knew how Yamada-san felt about Mayama—it was no secret, really. He did not want to deal with the inevitable awkwardness that would linger in the air while he pretended Mayama was not glowering at the two of them whenever they shared a light moment. And he certainly did not want to confront Mayama (again) in front of Yamada-san. He knew that that would hurt her feelings. He would be guilt tripping Mayama into telling the truth—or implying it, anyway—and she would not be able to stand it. He would be crossing a line. He was still an outsider and he had absolutely no right to take such liberties with either of them. It was not like him to butt in where he most certainly was not needed.

He noticed that Mayama had not moved from his position beside his window. He really could be stubborn, sometimes. If he wanted to, Nomiya could take this farther than it had already come. He had a few accusations that he had kept to himself. He could throw them at Mayama right now and watch the effect it would have on the younger man. But he was not that cruel—at least, not right now. So instead, he looked him in the eye and said, "You're still concerned."

"Of course." Now that they were alone, it was much easier for Mayama to admit it.

Time for a little honesty. "I don't intend to date Yamada-san. You have nothing to worry about."

He remained unconvinced. Nomiya did not think that a few words could change Mayama's opinion of him. But when he rolled up his window, Mayama stepped aside and did not ask to go with him again. And Nomiya couldn't help thinking that he had won the argument, just like always.

* * *

Yes, it really was redundant. I was basically just reiterating that Mayama is highly displeased with the fact that Nomiya and Yamada are getting along quite well. As if that wasn't common knowledge. Anyway, I really would love a lot of reviews and once again, a BIG THANK YOU TO:

Malagea: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Your review made my day! I hope you continue reading my story!


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